Does Iran Really Want Syria Brought Back Into the Arab Fold?

Long shunned by the Arab states due to the atrocities it committed against civilians during the Syrian civil war, the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is gradually returning to the Arab fold. Assad visited the United Arab Emirates in March 2022, and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan visited Damascus April 18. At first glance, Iran’s state-censored media appears to approve of Syria normalizing relations with its Arab neighbors, but between the lines, there is also concern about Damascus’ decreased reliance on Tehran and Iran’s loss of control over the Assad regime.

• April 16: Tasnim News, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, praised what it described as “Riyadh’s accelerated efforts to restore relations with the members of the axis of resistance,” a reference to Iran’s allies and allied militias across the Middle East. “One of the more remarkable efforts of Saudi Arabia … was to summon the foreign ministers of Arab states to pave the path for Damascus’ return to the Arab League.”
• April 18: Hassan Hanizadeh, a Middle East analyst often quoted in the IRGC’s Sobh-e Sadeq weekly, commented on Saudi Arabia’s new approach to Syria in an interview with Jahan News: “Syria has left the 12-year crisis behind it and is about to return to the Arab League … Saudi Arabia, and in particular Mohammed bin Salman,” the kingdom’s crown prince, “who needs to realize his 2030 modernization vision, needs security. This in turn means ending the war in Yemen and getting closer to Iran. Saudi Arabia reducing its offensive posture toward Syria is the result of Mohammed bin Salman’s changed perspective on Iran, which is the axis of the region.”
• April 18: In an interview with Shargh Daily, Middle East expert Parviz Shakeri discussed Syria’s attempts to return to the Arab League since its November 2011 suspension. In its commentary concluding the interview, Shargh noted: “However, unlike Shakeri, there is a group of analysts who believe Syria’s return to the Arab League and Damascus getting closer to the Arab states is not free of peril and may have negative consequences for Tehran.”

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